Angels Need Pitchers Who Are Equivalent Of Black Friday Deals, Here’s One

If you apply the concept of Black Friday bargain shopping to baseball, the Los Angeles Angels are a perfect fit. Andy McCullough (no relation) of The Athletic thought so, so he did a matchmaking story in which he picked the ideal bargain basement free agent for each team.

His choice for the Angels was a little on the strange side, but that might not be inappropriate: Tyler Mahle is a free agent starter who last played for the Texas Rangers, but he spent most of this past season on the injured list with shoulder issues. That makes him a perfect fit for the Angels, and this is the point in the story where eye rolls are appropriate if you’re so inclined.

Mahle did make 16 starts this year and posted a 2.18 ERA, so there is some justification for giving him a shot, although his up-and-down track record when he’s healthy is also a pretty solid argument against this kind of add.

The bottom line on pitchers like Mahle is that rolling the dice on them mostly depends on the medicals. The teams that should be taking this kind of approach are the ones operating from a position of strength, and obviously that’s not the Angels.

Another name on McCullough’s list that might make some sense for the Angels is Chris Bassitt, who was chosen for the San Diego Padres. Bassitt is almost 37, but he is reliable, having made at least 31 starts for the Toronto Blue Jays while posting a 3.89 ERA.

Bassitt is also relatively affordable. He’s coming off a three-year, $63 million deal that went well for both him and the Blue Jays, and given his age he might have to take a bit of a haircut money-wise going forward.

The problem here for the Angels, as always, is competition. They’re considered a last-ditch destination, and there are probably at least 3-4 teams that will be bidding for Bassitt, albeit at a relatively low level. Ask yourself this question: Would owner Arte Moreno make this kind of deal if he doesn't have to?

It’s also quite possible that the Angels have made their first and last offseason pitching move of the offseason by trading outfielder Taylor Ward for Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez. Rodriguez comes with health issues of his own, but he’s young and promising, plus he allows the Angels to present the illusion that they have a viable rotation.